Landscape Design as a Tool for Disaster Prevention: Lessons from Japan
The recent wildfires in Los Angeles have sparked important conversations about how we can better prepare our communities for natural disasters. As a landscape designer with experience in Japan, I believe there are valuable lessons we can learn from their approach to fire safety through landscape design. In Japan, earthquakes are often followed by wildfires. […]
Gardens as Semantic Landscapes: A Reflection on Design and Spirituality
Far from being mere horticultural spaces, gardens often serve as semantic landscapes. Much like religious paintings, they offer tangible representations of abstract concepts, allowing us to visualize the unseen. A striking example is the rock garden at Chion-in Temple in Kyoto. Amidst a sea of vibrant azaleas, the carefully arranged rocks symbolize Amida Buddha and […]
Craving a Tranquil Escape in Your Backyard? Turn it into a Healing Garden!
Feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or simply disconnected from nature? You’re not alone. But what if you could create a personal sanctuary right outside your door – a healing garden designed to bring peace and rejuvenation to your life? We, as specialists in healing spaces, help you get an idea of your healing garden. Thanks to technology, […]
Tsubo-niwa and The Tale of Genji
I have not read The Tale of Genji because I am not a big fan of love stories although it is a famous classic novel. But now, I feel ashamed of myself after I knew that the source of the character’s names was gardens. It is because their names came from Tsubo-niwa, a specific type […]
Japanese gardens and Christianity
Although Japanese gardens were influenced by Buddhism significantly, there is some controversy that Christianity also influenced Japanese gardens to some extent. I am interested in this topic because Japanese people have been open to adapting to something new. The first encounter of Christianity for Japanese people was with the Portuguese Catholic in 1549. It was […]
